Thuraya (Arabic: الثريا which is the Arabic name for the Pleiades) is a regional satellite phone provider. Its coverage area is most of Europe, the Middle East, North, Central and East Africa, Asia and Australia.
The company is based in the United Arab Emirates and distributes its products and service through authorized service providers. Its shareholders are a mixture of Middle Eastern and North African telcos (in which Etisalat is a major one) and investment companies.
Designed to complement existing GSM networks and expand usage beyond conventional network coverage areas, Thuraya's mobile satellite services offer a broad range of services that include voice, data, fax, short messaging, GPS through its dual mode handsets.
The offer will satisfy especially these companies and private persons whose business activities range extends beyond European borders.
Thuraya Satellite Services
Voice communications with handheld (Thuraya SO-2510, SG-2520, Hughes 7100 (discontinued)
Short message service
9.6 kbit/s of data & fax service
60 kbit/s downlink and 15kbit/s uplink "GMPRS" mobile data service on SO and SG handsets
High-speed data transfer via a notebook-sized terminal (ThurayaDSL and ThurayaIP)
GPS is supported by all handsets
A number of value-added services, such as news, call back, call waiting, missed calls, voicemail, WAP, etc.
Prayer service: after sending the GPS position to a special number a reply is sent back containing exact prayer times and heading towards Mecca. Service available for Sunnis and Shiats
A one-way 'high power alert' capability that notifies users of an incoming call, when the signal path to the satellite is obstructed (e.g. inside a building)
Marine Services: a combination of a special (fixed) base station and subscription offering voice, fax, data and always on internet-access. Also an emergency service which, when activated, sends multiple SMS messages containing alarm-status and actual position to pre-defined destinations
http://www.ts2.pl/
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/





